Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Admissions Requirements

All Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences master’s and doctoral applicants must submit:

  1. An application
  2. An application fee
  3. A statement of purpose
  4. Letters of recommendation
  5. Official transcripts
  6. Official test score report
    1. Language scores
    2. GRE only required for two doctoral programs
      1. Public Health (Doctor of Science - Sc.D.)
      2. Physical Therapy (Doctor of Physical Therapy - DPT)
  7. Resume (if applicable)

Note: All required materials must be received before the application package can be evaluated. If you need to introduce new references or add other supporting documents, log on to your application, click on “Program Materials” to update your application. Nursing and Public Health applicants should submit supporting documents directly to Graduate Admissions. Please note, the new documents and references will be considered only if your application has not been reviewed for admission.

Program Specific Application Notes

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutical Sciences: The program accepts applications for Fall admission. The priority deadline is Feb. 15. To be considered for admission, all required documents including transcripts, evaluation reports & letters of recommendation must be received by the deadline. Applications received after the deadline, if there are openings, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Master of Science (MS) in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Successful completion of the following subjects is required: Biochemistry, Calculus, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology or Anatomy & Physiology. Up to two of these courses may be completed within the first year of the master's program.
  • Master of Public Health (MPH): Submitting GRE scores is optional for the admissions to the MPH Program. All MPH programs require a semester of statistics and a semester of either biology or anatomy & physiology with a grade of C or higher (if missing, the program can work with you to complete these within the first year). Dietetics applicants are required to complete the above courses in addition to the following courses with a B- or higher: Human Nutrition, Microbiology, Food Service, Nutrition and Metabolism, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Psychology or Sociology or Anthropology. 
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy Applicants: All documents in support of an application (e.g. letters of recommendation, official transcripts, official GRE scores, etc.) are due at our annual deadline of November 1 to the Office of Graduate Admissions. No more that 2 (two) pre-requisite courses may be missing at the time of our application deadline to remain eligible for full consideration (courses which are in-progress are considered missing). Each newly accepted cohort immediately begins matriculation the subsequent Summer term. (i.e. mid-May). Note: The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at UMass Lowell utilizes thePhysical Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as PTCAS. Prospective applicants must apply online using the PTCAS application portal.
  • Master of Nursing: The priority deadline is March 1 for summer admission and November 1 for spring admission.
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP): The priority deadline is March 1 for summer admission and November 1 for spring admission.
  • MS Applied Biomdical Science: Applicants to this program must complete biochemistry with at grade of C or higher to qualify for admission.
  • All other graduate programs have rolling admissions policies. We encourage you to apply at the earliest to increase your chance of being considered for merit awards.

International Students: please see the additional application requirements.

Bachelor's to Master's Students: You will not need to apply via the application portal. Visit the Bachelor's to Master's pageto learn about the process to transition to your desired master's program.

1. Online Application

Applications are only being accepted using the online process. Instructions are included in the online application link.

Tips for accessing and completing the online application:

  • Capitalize your proper name.
  • Once the form is submitted, changes can only be made by calling the Office of Graduate Admissions at 978-934-2390.

Spring 2025 Applications

Please note:Current UML Exercise Science majors can apply to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program through our Graduate Admissions application.

Summer 2025- Spring 2026 Applications

2. Application Fee

Physical Therapy Applications - PTCAS charges an application fee, which they sometimes refers to as a supplemental fee. Applications will not be processed until this fee is received or application fee waiver has been approved and delivered to the Office of Graduate Admissions. 

Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences Applications - The application fee is $50.00 for each application (except Physical Therapy) and is non-refundable. Applications will not be processed until this fee is received or application fee waiver has been approved and delivered to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

3. Statement of Purpose

In a separate document, submit a brief statement indicating your immediate and long-range goals, relevant work history, academic honors/awards received, any teaching experience and/or research conducted/published that may be pertinent to your graduate program. Two page recommended maximum.

Note: If you are applying to more than one program, you will need to submit a program-specific statement of purpose with each application package.

Submit Supporting Documents for Nursing & Public Health

4. Letters of Recommendation

Master's applicants will need to submit two (2) letters of recommendation. Doctoral applicants will be asked to submit three (3) letters of recommendation for all programs except for the Doctor of Nursing Practice, which requires 2. You will be asked to provide (names and email addresses) references during the application process, and an automated request will be sent out after the completion of your application. Alternatively, you may use the graduate admissions recommendation form (pdf) to request letters of recommendations.

Recommendations should be from instructors who have taught you, ideally in the field to which you are applying. Recommendations may also be from employers or supervisors who are in a position to compare your performance to that of your peers. Please use the recommendation form for these.

Submit Supporting Documents for Nursing & Public Health

5. Official Transcripts

Provide a complete and official transcript from the institution that awarded or will award you a bachelor’s degree. You may also include transcripts from other institutions at which you have taken relevant coursework. Please note that waiting for additional transcripts may delay review of your application.

Transcripts should be sent in sealed and signed envelopes mailed to the Office of Graduate Admissions. If you received your degree from UMass Lowell, it is not necessary for you to request a transcript, we are able to provide one for you.

University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Graduate Admissions
Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) Center
839 Merrimack Street, 2nd Floor
Lowell, MA 01854-3941

International transcripts that do not clearly indicate to the Office of Graduate Admissions that you have received a four-year bachelor’s degree, the equivalent of an American bachelor's degree must be demonstrated before an application will be processed. Please note, the Office of Graduate Admissions reserves the right to have any application credential evaluated. Baccalaureate verification may be obtained for a fee at:

Center for Educational Documentation, Inc.
P.O. Box 170116
Boston, MA 02117
Telephone: 617-338-7171
Fax: 617-338-7101
Center for Educational Documentation website
World Education Services website

6. Official Test Score Report(s)

The following programs require a GRE for admission consideration:

  • Public Health (Sc.D.)
  • Physical Therapy (DPT)

All programs require the minimum language scores needed for acceptance:

  • TOEFL minimum 79
  • IELTS minimum 6.5
  • Duolingo minimum 115

Request that the appropriate agency send an official test score report for the GRE or GMAT to the Office of Graduate Admissions.UMass Lowell’s school code is 3911.Get more information about standardized tests on ourAdmissions Standards webpage.

7. Resume

The programs listed below require a resume for admission consideration:

  • Applied Biomedical Sciences (MS)
  • Health Information Management (MS)
  • Health Informatics (Graduate Certificate)
  • Health Service Management (Graduate Certificate)
  • Nursing (MS)
  • Nursing Practice (DNP)
  • Nursing (Ph.D.)
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS)
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.)
  • Public Health (ScD)

Submit Supporting Documents for Nursing & Public Health

All others, if you need to introduce new references or add other supporting documents:

  • log in to your application portal (links vary),
  • click on “Program Materials” to update your application.

Please note the new documents and references will be considered only if your application has not been reviewed for admission.